Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1887-10-27
Man of Great Ability.

! Two men who had just arrived in the
White Oak settlement were speaking
of some one named Tompkins, when an
old fellow who had been standing near
advanced aud said:
! you ar talk n about young lobe
Tompklns, reckon.
"Yes," one of the men replied. Are
you acquainted with him?"
Il reckon l oughter be, when he used
to be my stepson, before his nanny
got u divorce frum me. like she dun
from his father an married another
Teller. lobe has got the brightest mind
O. any man in this community. You
may talk about Steve Harker, that's
gone to congress, an Alb Joyner. that
belongs to the Legislature. but lobe he's
jest nachully got the m.nd."
! Smart, is he?'
"Smarl! Wy, he jest nachully LAYS
over anything in this community; an
when it comes to sense. wy. thar amt
nobody In the state that ken touch
these here folks. Smart. wy, femme
tell you, if lobe amt the gov ner o
this here state befo' the next six years
thar'll be satherin' sight o. folks in
this part o the country that will be
gon' round akin the reason why.
Smart-w'y, lemmv tell you what he
done. He had old one-ey ell, stum-
bin sway-back boss. IA rope bride an
saddle made outen sheep-skin an
! some bar'l slaves. The folks laughed
at him fur riggin' up sich layout
but, never mind, says he. Old Marster
has made big room in this here COM
munty for teller to snatch up ability
an swing it around by the tall an.
gentlemen, let me tell you that he done
it. He started out with that disgustin
! RIG, an befo' the end o two weeks he
had as high steppin' boss rs you
ever seed, a saddle that made noise
like a year-old baby a-cryin'. an
bride that looked purity enough to take
hotter an chaw."
''He was lucky" said one of the
men.
Lucky! Wy, tell you that he's got
the brightest mind in the state.
Lucky! Step out in the road an make
boss bride an saddle. Smart-w'y.
let me tell YOU. He had ole cow that
you couldn't squz morn ten draps o.
milk outen with a CIDER press. What
d d he do? Let her die on his hans
like many smart man wou!dcr done?
No, sir. He started out, an in less
than week he came buck driven a
great big fine COW that laid the dust
with milk as she walked"
'He is unquestionably ski.lful
trader"
"a skillfull trader! You have hearn
o. gen us, ] reckon. Well, Tobe's Il
gen us,a plum tlat-footed genius"
"And you think he VII be governor
of this state. eh?"
Just rs shore as YOU live this mint.
Wy. sir. lemme tell YOU; with his gen us
he ken take the office o justice o the
peace an keep tradin' fur fust one
Office an then another till the fust
thing you know he land slam bang
i'm the governors cheer. Smart! w Y
sometime ago. befo' the folks acknowl-
edged his genius. he fell in love with
gal so ugly that the green pers M
mons fell often the trees rs she went
along the road. What did he do? ID d
he marry her? Well, no. He started
out train. an now he's engaged to
be married to the purttest woman in the
state. Oh, thar ant nothin' that's be-
yond the reach q Ii ability. He's
jest nachully bright. an as sa'. if he
amt the governor q this here state you
ken skim the 'stonishmcnt often this
community with spoon. "-Arkda-
sdO irdceler.